Is truth or honesty a matter of perception? Some nefarious souls would have you believe it is.
We take the courtroom stand and, “Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.” Yet, in a less official tone, Billy Joel famously sang, “Honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue.” (He was singing about crimes of the heart, but I digress.)
Even drug addicts honestly tell me drugs are bad, but they can’t help their addiction. Many times addicts may not be as truthful when it comes to having possession of illegal narcotics. I guess they rationalize their perception of truthfulness at that particular point.
As crime fighters, we hope everyone is honestly forthright. As police officers, if we are not truthful and honest, we commit perjury. A scarlet letter is placed on officers for the rest of their careers, if they get to keep those careers.
No matter how hard it sounds or comes across, being truthful and honest is a police officer’s creed.
Our goal at Boulder City Police Department is to perform t our profession’s functions honestly and truthfully for the community. The honesty of laws is straightforward.
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“Control, 269. Be 10-8 in service.”
■ Oct. 19. Officers get dispatched to the area of Comanche Way in reference to an out-of- control family member. This family member is using a shovel as a baseball bat. By the time officers arrive, the suspect had struck his father, leaving a shovel imprint on his abdomen. Thankfully, the uncle and father were able to restrain the suspect. We were able to handcuff him without further incident.
■ Oct. 20. A K-9 officer pulls over a speeding car. The driver, a convicted felon, should have known better. The welcoming smell of marijuana led the officer to find a trafficking amount of methamphetamine, a gun and drug paraphernalia. Can you say, “Bye-bye”?
■ Oct. 21. You figure a 24-year-old person would have his life in order. Upon meeting the officer, the young adult remembered something: forgetting to pay a citation for narcotics paraphernalia. A citation is a promise to appear. No appearance equals warrant, which equals a courtesy ride to jail. You think the drug use had anything to do with memory lapse?
■ Oct. 22. I’m not sure if you remember the Internet dating fraud call last week, involving $2,500 being sent to Africa. Well, the money was turned over to the police department for safekeeping. Now we have to find the rightful owner. Please remember, don’t be defrauded by giving money away over the phone or Internet.
■ Oct. 23. Officers make contact with one of our local nonorganic substance-dependent transient guests. A check of her name reveals a startling circumstance: She is wanted on a narcotics warrant. Handcuffs go on. After getting to Boulder City Police Department for booking, an attention-grabbing condition is disclosed: She’s pregnant. After notifying court of this, the subject was given a new court date and released.
■ Oct. 25. An officer spots two known methamphetamine aficionados walking out of the rear of Nevada Inn. Their startled response and the two beginning to play hot potato with something piques the officer’s curiosity. Contact with the subjects was made. A check of one subject discovers a warrant. Both subjects honestly tell the officer they have some contraband. This cathartic act of handing over approximately 34 grams of methamphetamine is enlightening. Clark County Detention here we come.
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You may not like what you hear or what we have to say, but the truth is the truth. The concept of honesty is intertwined in our profession; it’s a shame some people we deal with misunderstand and perceive it differently.
See you next week, and as always: Keep it real Boulder City.
Officer Jeffrey Grasso is a 11-year veteran of the Boulder City Police Department. He previously served as a police officer in south Florida for four years.